Garden State Parkway’s Driscoll Bridge Reopens

Work is finished in time for the Memorial Day holiday on a bridge that once was a major bottleneck to traffic headed to and from the Jersey shore. The $225 million reconstruction and expansion has given the Garden State Parkway’s Driscoll Bridge greater capacity than the George Washington Bridge. Some 300,000 vehicles travel the span daily. The project began in 2002 and included the construction of a new span and the rehabilitation of two existing spans over the Raritan River. The bridge went from 12 lanes to 15 and included shoulders. The lack of shoulders had aggravated congestion during breakdowns and accidents.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority expects nearly 7.4 million vehicles will use the parkway between Thursday and Tuesday.